The hubby's luck

The hubby can't stop talking about this. He won RM300 from the weekly contest Shell is having. If you check the Shell website for last week's winner you'll see his name there. He keeps going on and on and on about how lucky he is. He boasted about the time he won RM100 from a Jacob contest 8 years ago, and how he won RM6 after buying a RM3 lottery ticket (fuiyoh... that's so amazing hor).

He keeps going on about how lucky he is this time to win RM300 and how unlucky I am for not winning anything before. Only 300 people in the whole of Malaysia will win every week, you know! And he keeps boasting and boasting about it, even sent me a snapshot of the Shell website with his name as one of the winners there. He said when the cheque comes, he wants me to take a photo of him posing with the cheque and publish it on my blog.

A few days later, his car's air conditioning broke down. He got it fixed. And how much did it cost him?

RM300.

Very lucky hor~~~~

The move

Russell vs Yin How

I usually don't stay up so late, but for some reason I'm still awake watching football with the hubby. The hubby takes football betting very seriously, studying past football results the same way I study technical documents at work, before he makes a bet.

Anyway, lately he's been taking advice from Russell. Russell told him to bet on Germany instead of England and the hubby took his advice and won. Tonight, Russell told the hubby to bet on Slovakia (Holland handicap of 1 1/2 balls). But the hubby INSISTED that he wanted to take Holland convince that Holland can lead by 2 goals.

Holland was leading by 2 goals, meaning the hubby was winning. He was already boasting to Russell that he was right for not taking Russell's advice and performed a strange irish-riverdance-like happy dance in front of me and Russell when Holland scored the 2nd goal. At 90 minutes the hubby's handphone was ringing non-stop from friends congratulating each other for betting on Holland.

During the last 30 seconds, Slovakia earned a penalty kick.

Slovakia scored a goal.

The hubby was shocked into complete silence. No more riverdances from him anymore.

I was giggling like a maniac. Serves him right for not taking Russell's advice.

Yes, my dog is better at football betting than the hubby.

;)

(BTW, in case you're wondering, Russell picks what football team to bet by choosing one of two pieces of paper Yin How presents to him. It's random, but still funny when Russell is right and the hubby is wrong)

TFB network

Something good has recently happened. At least I hope it's something good. But I can't say what it is yet because the hubby gave me the warning look of, "You shall not blog about this". So I can't blog what it is... until much later la.

And before you let your imagination run away, the news is about the hubby, not me.

The hubby somehow miraculously managed to keep this off the TFB network - Tan Family Broadcast Network until today. Which I know much has been something really challenging for him since he blabs everything onto the Tan Family Broadcast Network. I'm talking about a guy who once, during our early pak toh days, told his mum that I shave my legs. Why he thought my future mother-in-law needed to know that her future daughter-in-law has hairy legs, I shall never understand. I shudder to think whether this information went onto the Tan Family Broadcast Network.

I'm no stranger to the Tan Family Broadcast Network. Something I was introduce to when I was still dating the hubby. The Tan Family Broadcast Network is one of the most efficient networks around. They work with the policy of, "Same day delivery guaranteed".

This is how it works. You just have to briefly mention something to just one other Tan family member and by the end of the day all the Tan phones will start ringing.

"Teet... teet.. teet.. teet... Breaking Tan family news, breaking Tan family news!!!!" 

And sometimes the broadcast packet will end with, "...and don't tell anyone I told you ah"

And before you know it, the hubby's handphone will start ringing with his mum on the other line ready to nag him to death about something that happened earlier. Apparently I underestimated the efficiency of the Tan Family Broadcast when I briefly mentioned about that something to one other Tan member.

Anyhoo, I'm sure the Tan Family Broadcast is actively spreading the news since the hubby has contacted the founder of the Tan Family Broadcast Network this morning - his mum.

I know I can't blog about it yet. But I maybe will much later....

"... and don't tell anyone I told you ah"

;)

What a married man thinks

One day, the hubby went out for dinner with a group of other married men. After the dinner, the hubby proudly told me the summary for what they discussed over dinner.

1. Woman talk too much
2. Woman complain too much to their husbands. When something happens at work, they tell their husbands every tiny detail that happen. What A said to B. And then what B did to C. And how A found out about C. "And then ah.... and then ah... ARE YOU LISTENING OR NOT?.. ." Yata yata yata yata.... As if the husband can do anything about it.
3. Men swear by this oath. "I promise to tell my wife the truth. But not the whole truth".

And I'm fully aware of that oath. Now and then the hubby will out of the blue tell me stuff like, "Remember when we were in college and I promised you I'll go straight back home after I left your place late at night? I actually went to the cyber cafe instead and played Counter Strike until the next morning."  And then continues to giggle at his own genius mischief.

Yup, the hubby tells me the truth... 8 years later when he knows I'll no longer be angry about it. The hubby is a smart man.

Since the hubby says I talk too much, I decided to use the male's technique of just giving a summarized version of stories. The hubby was happy, until one day something interesting happened at work. So I told him "summarized" version. The hubby was curious and wanted to know more. But hey, like he mentioned before, men only want the summarized version of the story, so the summarized version I gave. Nothing more, nothing less.

Apparently the curiosity got the better of the hubby. And to my dismay, he then did what a women normally does to get her way when she wants something from her man....

He gave me....... 

THE SILENT TREATMENT. 

And not just any silent treatment. It's that special kind of silent treatment a woman gives a man to make it very obvious that she's sulking about something. The type where she'll still talk to the man a sentence or two, then suddenly remembers that she's suppose to be in sulking mode, and then pretends to be angry again just to make her point.

WTF. Throughout all my relationship with the hubby, he has never given me the sulky silent treatment to me. How dare he use a woman's technique to go against my usage of a male's technique to summarizing stories.

After going on like that for two days, we both gave up. A man is not suited to use a woman's technique. And a woman is not suited to use a man's technique.

For this round of the battle of the sexes, I shall call it an even.

:)


P/S - I know this sounds random, but I just remembered that there's a new episode of GLEE showing today... YAY!!!~~~ I was telling a bunch of people who have never heard about Glee how they must watch Glee. And when I tried to describe to them what Glee is, it ended up sounding like High School Musical which left them staring at me with very skeptical unconvinced looks.

But seriously, WATCH GLEE.

And American Idol this year is boring. I only person I like is Lee. I'm sure he is going to win :)

Horse racing

The hubby always says he wants to bring his dad to the race course to watch the horses racing. It's something that he told me lots of times, one of his many "one day I shall do this" plans. I guess after all that has happened recently, the hubby realized that if you can do it now, don't wait for "one day". Because who knows whether that "one day" will come.

Anyway, the hubby and I both have been living in Penang for so long, but have never watched a horse race. So despite the freaking hot weather, I excitedly agreed to follow him.

When we reached the race course, the hubby and his dad transformed into two excited little boys. Just look at them, look at them. I've never seen the hubby and his dad so excited.

The hubby was really really really excited. Like the same excitement I feel when I see 50% sale in Vincci. If only the hubby sees shoes the way he sees the horses.

After all that happened recently, I've been obsessed with capturing moments. And I'm glad I caught this father and son moment. :)

I'm proud to say that I learned a few things when I was there. Like what all those numbers are. I bet you don't know. Ha!

And when the race begins, all the old men will get up and start yelling on the top of their voices. I've never seen so many energetic old men in my life.

And suddenly after a few races, I heard the hubby yelling as well. "Number 9, NUMBER 9, NUMBER 9!!! AIYOHHHHH... NOOO!!!!". *followed by all sorts of not-so-nice hand gestures*

It's exciting to see the horses run. The hubby played it safe and let his dad bet first. On the first bet, his dad already won RM200. After a few rounds of seeing his dad win money, the hubby decided to join in.

Let's just say in the end, he generously donated money to the horses instead. ;)

"Eating Mummy Food" position

Let me introduce you to the "Eating Mummy Food" position. In the "Eating Mummy Food" position, both legs are lifted up onto the chair in a ah-pek sytle to demonstrate that one is relaxed and pleased.

Yes, this position can only be achieved when one is absolutely delighted to be eating mummy's home cook food. Because mummy's home cook is cooked with lots of love which has made him grown into a big strong boy.

While in the "Eating Mummy Food" position, one becomes so happy with the food, his eyes light up and he shoves food into his mouth faster than he can chew. And after the "Eating Mummy Food" position is over, the bowls are licked clean.

Unfortunately this "Eating Mummy Food" position does not apply to the wife's cooking. Cis.



Seriously... the hubby has been a very happy person the past 1 week because my mum-in-law has been staying with us. And I've been a very happy person too.

She cooks and cleans and even does all the nagging for me, "Ah How ah.... you dowan to bath yet ah???". "Ah How ah.. you dowan to wake up yet ah??", "Ah How ah, you dowan to go to work yet ah??.


Yes, the wife has been a happy person indeed. ;)

Dearest hubby

Dearest hubby,

Happy Birthday.

Why haven't you grown any wrinkles, white hair or a big belly yet? I need you to look older so that I can look younger.

Love,
Your wife


BTW, the plan to go out with my colleagues for dinner on your birthday wasn't real and was all part of the plan to surprise you and take you out for dinner instead.

You didn't think your wife would actually forget your birthday right?

*wink*

Yin How's little project

On New Year's Eve....

One

Two

Hammering until 12 midnight....

Three

Early next morning...

until late afternoon (skipped lunch).

Four

 Five

Six

Ta-da

 

This is what a married couple with no children do when they are bored and have too much free time. :)

Hubby said he wanted to DIY his own doghouse during the holidays, which he did.

I said I wanted to sew my own DIY teddy bear soft toys during the holidays.

A single teddy bear is yet to be seen.

;)

Yin How's pride and joy

Some time earlier this year, there was a flower festival thingy at Botanical Gardens. At that time, I had just bought my DSLR and owning a DSLR for the first time makes you to crazy things like standing in the ridiculously hot sun crowding with a bunch of other people just to take a photo of a flower.

Yin How was excited. Especially when he spotted plants for sale. He was particularly interested in getting an ambra tree which caught his eye.

And then he started his bargaining process of squeezing every cent he could from the young Malay boy.

 Of course, with he managed to win the bargain and posed for a victorious smile to the camera.

He took around 15 more minutes to choose the perfect ambra plant among many while I was cursing how hot the weather was.

I was just glad to get out the heat. I happily walked back to the car and dumped the plant at the back passenger seat. Yin How insisted that the plant sit in front, so fine..... I got out and moved the plant to the front seat with me.

At home, a very excited Yin How began digging a dead plant from our huge pot so that his precious new plant could move in.

 

He carried the pot outside to make sure that his plant would get enough loving tender care from the sun.

 

And there it stood... Yin How's pride and joy. His bonsai ambra plant (if you just call it the ambra plant, he'll correct you and say it's a bonsai ambra plant). He was soon talking about how he would make ambra juice after the plant starts producing fruits.

Any guest who comes over would be introduced to the plant.

After more than half a year of watering, fertilizing and caring for his precious plant.....

Ta-da!!~~~

 

;)

Yin How's little garden - updates

The one and only tomato has turn red. It's a tiny tomato, but still... I'm so proud of it. :)

Lady finger plant has finally grown one flower. Can't wait to see lady fingers growing.

Chilly plant has totally died. So sad.

There's just something about watching plants grow everyday and getting over-excited over every tiny change (as if I've never seen a tomato before). The simple joys of life. :)

I love my hubby

I love my hubby.

I love waking up next to him on Saturday mornings.
I love hugging him from behind.
I love placing my head on his chest listening to his heartbeat.
I love staring at him sleep, memorizing every mole on his face.
I love how peaceful he looks when he sleeps.
I love doing all these things because I know all these are not permenant and there maybe one day when I wake up and he's no longer there anymore.

BUT.... when the hubby purposely sets his alarm clock to 7.30am on a SATURDAY morning because he doesn't want to waste his Saturday sleeping, and when that annoying alarm of his rings and wakes me up from my precious Saturday morning sleep. And when he switches off his alarm and goes to sleep until 11am while I'm now awake since 7.30am with a headache unable to go back to sleep while he refuses to wake up...... I'M NO LONGER IN THAT LOVABLE MOOD ANYMORE.

How many times has he done this already.

Cis.

Yin How's big day out

Lately I keep scaring Yin How, reminding him that his old parents will one day pass on. And all the things that he says he wants to do with them will no longer be possible, no matter how much he wants to do so. He's a good son who always says he's going to do this and that for his parents, but I didn't want him to keep saying what he plans to do "one day" and regret it when that "one day" comes too late.

After scaring him a bit, he decided to take the day off today to bring his parents out. They can't drive, so he wanted to bring them around Penang. He had this big plan, he would bring them to Balik Pulau to eat the laksa there, then bring them to his friend's fruit farm which had a waterfall where his dad could go swimming. Then he wanted to drive them around the island and I think he wanted to bring his parents to the restaurant his parents went during their first date (yup, the restaurant is still standing after all these years).

He woke up early this morning, excitedly packed a towel and his DSLR into his little backpack. Even brought a food carrier because he said he wanted to tapoa laksa for me. He looked like an excited little boy going to a mini camping trip.

Anyway, I went home during lunch and was surprised to see his car at home. Went upstairs and found a very tired looking Yin How. Apparently his big plan failed. They went up to Balik Pulau and both laksa stalls were closed. Ended up eating chicken rice instead. And the moment they stepped into the coffeeshop, rain started pouring. So couldn't go to the fruit farm or around the island.

Why was he tired? Well my mother-in-law looks after my nephew during the day when his parents are working. So if Yin How wants to bring his parents out, they have to bring the little one out as well. And let's just say, the little one is the cheekiest little 3-year-old I've ever met in my life.

After the disappointing failed trip, Yin How brought his parents home. And his parents happily took this opportunity to go into the guest room to nap, leaving the little rascal alone with Yin How. Yin How adores his nephew (and I love how he calls me "Auntie Mindy"), but playing with him for 15 minutes and actually looking after him for a few hours are two different stories.

Being the youngest son in his whole family (including being the youngest among all his cousins), Yin How has never had the experience of looking after a kid. And looking after the cheekiest 3-year-old alive wasn't going to be easy.

The kid wouldn't leave him alone to watch TV.


Wouldn't stop touching and asking for this and that from the bookshelf (at one point starting banging on our DVD player because he was convinced that it was spoiled)


Wouldn't leave him alone to eat.


Wouldn't sit still.


Wouldn't leave him take nap (if he sees you closing your eyes, he'll attack you and hit you in the stomach)


Wouldn't stop hitting him with the watering-can (until Yin How scolded him)


Wouldn't stop fighting with the very frustrated Yin How who now started using the kid's bolster in self defense


Wouldn't stop bugging him to make Milo


After feeding him Milo, my sofa and the little rascal's T-Shirt was stained.


And after an hour, Yin How started getting a headache

I spent lunch time in total amusement watching Yin How running up and down, struggling with the little rascal. Before I went back to work, I asked Yin How, "You wanna take more leave?".

I think you know what his answer was. Hehehehe....

Mr. Fit

I'm trying to get Yin How to exercise more. But he's convinced that he is as fit as he should be. So I challenged him to see who could do more squats. There we were, the two of us doing squats in the living room, going up and down up and down like two psychos. He put on his cool "no sweat" macho face expression even though I knew he was feeling the strain.

After going on non-stop for 15 minutes, I gave up not because I couldn't go on, but I was getting impatient and sweaty and I couldn't stand his "no sweat" macho expression he kept giving me. So he won and was gloating like crazy, and I was sulking in a little corner. He also did 20 push ups and dunno how many sit ups to prove that he's fit.

Last night he suddenly came up to me with a genuinely worried expression, "Mindy ah, I think I'm falling sick la... my whole body is aching. My legs, my arms, my shoulders". For a second I was a little worried before I realized, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SUDDENLY EXERCISE YOUR UNDER UTILIZED MUSCLES OK.

He walks like an old man right now. And he's no longer giving me his "no sweat" macho look anymore. ;)

Mistakenly younger

This morning Yin How was waiting outside at the entrance of our home while waiting for my sister before going off to work. A neighbour came up and asked a very confused Yin How,

N: "Where are your parents?"
YH: "Huh?"
N: "Your parents"
YH: "My parents?"
N: "Yes, your parents, I want to speak to them"
YH: "My parents don't stay here"
N: "Then who lives here?"
YH: "My wife and I"
N: "Oh"

First of all, I found it so funny that someone wanted to speak to Yin How's parents as if he was a kid in trouble. And secondly, the neighbour wanted to complain about some noise we were making and he couldn't believe that Yin How was the home owner. I'm guessing Yin How looked like a kid, sitting there wearing his backpack and holding a colorful looking water bottle. Hehehehehee....

I'm never gonna stop teasing Yin How about this. Because he used to tease me about an incident which happened when we were in KL. The both of us entered the shop in Midvalley selling adult toys and the sales person stopped me and asked for my I.C. because he didn't believe I was above 18 or 21 years old, can't remember, while Yin How stood there laughing his head off.

But I don't think that incident is as bad as what my sister went through. They asked her for her I.C. when she attempted to buy an above 18 movie ticket. She was already 20 at that time. ;)

Yin How and my sister do look young for their age. A colleague saw my sister and I walking in a mall and asked my sister what form she is in. My sister got offended. And when all those aunties at the market talk to Yin How when he helps his mum at the stall during weekend, they always are in disbelief when Yin How says he's already married (thank goodness he's already married and certified "Mindy's property" or not he'll be a target for all those market aunties who are always on the look out to find people to matchmake).

But whatever it is, I still think it's a compliment if people think you're younger than you should be. I know I'm not as young as I used to be, but I really hope I won't look years older than my kiddy looking husband with his backpack and colorful water bottle. ;)

Failed attempt at Yoga

I'm into the whole healthy lifestyle living thingy lately. So I decided to try out Yoga. Bought a DVD for beginners. Yin How wanted to try it out too and I told him that he will spend the first 5 minutes giggling and then go into the room and sleep.

I played the DVD and in the introduction they showed an experienced man performing an advanced Yoga pose. He was standing on one leg and the other leg was pulled from behind with his arm. Yin How wanted to make fun of the pose by attempting to follow it, pulled his butt muscles in the process and crashed down on the sofa with both hands squeezing his butt, half crying in pain and half giggling hysterically.

Sigh, like I predicted, he spent the first 5 minutes giggling, got bored, then went into the room to sleep.

I have to say, Yoga is HARD. My shoulder muscles are all aching. So I must be using some muscles which I don't normally use during my aerobic sessions.

Sometimes I just stop and realize... I have the best hubby in the world

For the past 2 or 3 weeks, I've been working late everyday. And everyday for the past 2 or 3 weeks, hubby came home from work and cooked dinner for me even when he was sick for a few days this week.

Cooking his "famous" char bee hoon

Also, I was out most of this weekend. Hubby cleaned the home himself and bathed the two doggies.

Thank you so much ha.....

P/S - I read a newpaper article that most woman get attracted to their husbands when they help with the housework [click]. So guys, if you're looking for a way to get lucky with your wife, you know what to do la (better still, when you mop the floor, do it without your shirt on) ...

;)

On a hot Saturday afternoon

The past weekend was ridiculously hot. And I know a lot of people were feeling the heat by just looking at the "I'm so hot" status updates at facebook. So what would I do on a ridiculously hot day? I went to the beach and sat there under the hot 5pm sun. :P

Yin How wanted to go fishing because he bought a new fishing rod wheely thingy. And I only agreed to go because I wanted to play with my new camera.

When we reached the beach, he suddenly realized, "Oh no, there's no pail to carry back the fish." I just smiled knowing very well how this fishing trip was going to end.

There wasn't any shade on the beach, so we sat under the hot sun. It was so hot, we could hardly open our eyes. Yin How was happy and excited.

He threw in the bait into the sea.

And we waited

And waited

And waited

I started getting bored and found taking photos of my feet more interesting

Each he pulled back his hook, the prawn disappeared. He tried about 3 or 4 times again. And waited...

And waited... no longer looking so happy and excited anymore....

And eventually gave up.

We went home hot and sweaty and fishless. Yin How's "fishing" trips are always trips to feed the fish in the sea. This is why I never bother to remember to bring a pail. :)

Dearest hubby

Even after 9 years, it's the little things like squeezing together on the sofa while watching TV which make the best moments of the day.

I enjoyed the wonderful dinner by the beach today. Even though we didn't stay long because you had to pee!



Happy 9th anniversary hubby. :)

Why I love Yin How

1. Because he rubs my tummy when i have a tummy ache (after I force him to do so)
2. Because he makes a cup of Milo when I'm hungry (after I force him to do so)
3. Because he cooks for me if I come home late from work
4. Because he does the laundry every weekend (else he’ll have no clothes to wear the following week) and helps me with the housework (after a little nagging) and he irons his own clothes
5. Because he buys and cuts fruits for me when I'm constipated
6. Because he says the most ridiculous things which makes me laugh
7. Because he is kind to animals and would buy a bun for a hungry stray dog he sees one at kopitiam
8. Because he respects his elders, and teaches me to do the same
9. Because he loves and looks after the dogs so I know he'll make a good father
10. Because he loves me too

Happy 27th Birthday!~ Can't believe you are so old already.